This annual community event, sponsored by RCE Greater Portland partner, the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI), creates teams of participants from neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and beyond, who take on a challenge to change a behavior for two weeks. The EcoChallenge is open to anyone who would like to make a commitment to living a little lighter on Earth. Whether at work or on campus, with friends or family, NWEI encourages developing camaraderie and friendly peer pressure to make change a little easier, and a lot more fun. A great team-building and personal experience, the EcoChallenge makes a real difference in our own lives and the community.

The teams are on-line, so people can join from across the region and around the world. This fun and meaningful opportunity helps people learn something new. Plus, teams and individuals can compete with each other and win prizes!

The regional challenges that this project addresses focuses on environmental issues and actions that we can take in our homes, workplaces and communities. NWEI allows us to choose an EcoChallenge category that appeals to us: Water Conservation; Energy Efficiency; Sustainable Food Options; Alternative Transportation; Trash Reduction; Civic Engagement; Connect with Earth; or Choose Your Own. They ask participants to be realistic about what challenges people take on and then to let our family and friends know about our challenges. Using social psychological theories, they have found that sharing our EcoChallenges is a great way to inspire others and hold ourselves accountable.

Once the EcoChallenge starts, participants are able to check in each day and identify whether they achieved their goal or not and then blog about their efforts. Some participants post pictures and share suggestions with each other. Checking in and blogging earns the individual and team points and adds to the fun of the experience.

Because the EcoChallenge is on-line, people participate from all over the greater Portland region, the United States, and internationally. Many of our RCE partners create teams and use this as an annual event to build relationships and make a difference.

This year was extra special, as UNU-IAS program associate Kyoko Shiota was interning with RCE Greater Portland and she chose to work with our partner, NWEI, to learn about their discussion courses, curriculum, and the EcoChallenge. She created an international RCE team, which introduced the UNU-IAS and other RCEs around the world to one of RCE Greater Portland's favorite projects. We hope that other RCEs will participate in the future as well.

More details are available at www.nwei.org.